A Kent waste company has been fined £150,000 for health and safety breaches.

The City of London Magistrates’ Court heard that a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspection in August 2020 found that employees of BSP (Knockholt) Limited, who were manually sorting through waste in its yard near Orpington, were at risk of being struck by heavy machinery moving next to them.

It also found that there were inadequate rest facilities for employees to use during break times.

Two improvement notices were served on the company that September and a date for compliance by October 2020 was set. However, a further site inspection in February 2021 found that the company had not complied with either notice.

Magistrates found that the company, which went into liquidation last October, was guilty of failing to comply with two improvement notices.

It was fined £140,000 for the breach regarding the segregation of vehicles and pedestrians, and £10,000 for the lack of welfare facilities. Costs of £2,459 and a victim surcharge of £190 were also awarded.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Gordon Carson said: “BSP (Knockholt) Limited showed a disregard for the safety and health of its employees by failing to take action, when required by HSE, to ensure they were not at risk of being struck by heavy plant, and provided with adequate and clean welfare facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“HSE will not hesitate to take action against duty holders where they have placed their employees at risk and have decided not to comply with enforcement action.”